Spring Has Sprung!

Well, this weekend was surely nothing less than eventful--if there isn't a holiday to celebrate, we'll just create our own! Whereas last weekend consisted of national and international holidays, this weekend was several social events creating all sorts of opportunities to connect with coworkers, charities, neighbors, and friends.

Friday night was the BEC's Black & White Ball held as a benefit for Sukrupa, a school for street kids in India. Besides getting "dressed to impress" in stylish black & white, the night included dinner, dancing, and a silent auction consisting of paintings by the children, fun activities, and even dinner cooked by Barbara, BEC President and Hungarian cook extraordinaire. A group of us from Zen Gardens (or Expat Central, EPC, as we call it) went to the gala affair in our best black & white. Michael Hubbard (now known as "Curly Mike") and I ("Burly Mike") coordinated our black & white Indian kurtas so it gave us a great opportunity to shop for some new Indian formal wear, which is always a perk! Another one of our TTS team members from Minneapolis, Tim, also had a chance to attend the event in an Indian kurta, so that was great. It's always so nice when our HQ team members visit! Hope you had a great trip, Tim :o)


Saturday night brought the EPC Progressive Party--somewhat like a progressive dinner, but just simple drinks and snacks throughout the 8 different apartments we occupy at Zen Gardens, Building A. Every 30-minutes we would rotate to the next apartment, thus giving all the guests an opportunity to view the different apartment layouts, decor, and "warm" each apartment with their cheerful spirit. It was a fun night of conversation, music, laughter and stories, and a wide variety of drinks and snacks. Fun for everyone! I had a great time helping to organize the event and, of course, taking snaps of the entire night--I love being the Paparazzo.

Next weekend Michael, Paul, Will, and I are off to Sri Lanka to do some exploring, and then I'm preparing for a whirlwind tour of central Europe with Mom & Dad on Eurail--I love vacation time. Never a dull moment in the life of this expat :o)

Even though it's sunny at 90 degrees virtually every day in Bangalore, springtime still brings a freshness and feeling of renewal. The change of the season marks the entrance into summer--new flowers bloom, the winds change, and vacations are planned. May this spring renew and refresh you--get outside and soak up the natural beauty of this earth. What a gift!

Happy Spring to All :o)